Organised labour will decide its next course of action following a crucial meeting with the Federal Government on Tuesday, with the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress demanding concrete proposals on petrol prices, wage negotiations and unresolved workers' welfare issues. The talks follow an earlier meeting on October 22 that ended without agreement, and will determine whether the government can address labour's demands before the unions' ultimatum expires on October 27. The NLC's Assistant Secretary-General, Chris Onyeka, said labour expected the government to respond to demands already submitted rather than reopen discussions without concrete proposals. A source within organised labour told reporters that the government had requested more time to prepare for the meeting.
The NLC and TUC are seeking a reduction in petrol prices to 2024 levels, tax relief for workers, immediate wage awards and the commencement of negotiations for a new minimum wage ahead of the government's proposed June 2027 review. Labour argues that the N70,000 monthly minimum wage introduced in 2024 has been eroded by the depreciation of the naira and rising costs of essential goods and services. The unions want the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee to be nominated and inaugurated immediately to begin the administrative process early. The current minimum wage followed negotiations in 2024 and President Bola Tinubu signed the legislation into law on July 29, 2024, raising the statutory minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000. The government maintains that the current wage is due for review on June 1, 2027, arguing that the National Minimum Wage Act, 2019, as amended in 2024, provides for a three-year review cycle.
A major point of disagreement is when negotiations should begin to replace the current wage. The NLC's president, Joe Ajaero, argued in a letter dated October 13 that the timetable under the original 2019 legislation remained relevant despite the 2024 amendment. In a letter dated October 12, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Dingyadi, described negotiations for another review barely two years into implementation of the current wage as premature and potentially disruptive to industrial relations. Labour also disputes that workers have benefited significantly from the 133 per cent increase, arguing that purchasing power has declined and many struggle to afford transportation, food, housing, healthcare and education.
Labour is also demanding the implementation of tax relief measures agreed with the government in 2023 and immediate wage awards to cushion workers against rising living costs. Other unresolved issues include the implementation of the February 5, 2026, terms of settlement involving the Joint Health Sector Unions and the Assembly of Healthcare Professionals, and demands raised by the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council. The NLC had directed its affiliates and state councils to prepare for possible nationwide action if the government failed to make meaningful progress. A Trade Union Congress official said the outcome of Tuesday's meeting would determine labour's next move. The NLC issued a two-week ultimatum on October 8, which expired on October 22 and was subsequently extended to October 27.
Separately, the Federal Parastatals and Private Sector Pensioners Association of Nigeria has urged the Federal Government to settle outstanding pension entitlements, including three months of the N25,000 monthly subsidy-removal palliative for eligible beneficiaries, amounting to N75,000 in total. The demands were contained in a communiqué issued after the association's National Executive Council meeting in Abuja on October 22, 2026. The association is also seeking improved access to pensioners' healthcare benefits. For workers and pensioners in Nigeria, the outcome of these talks will affect whether wages, purchasing power and access to benefits improve or deteriorate in the months ahead.